Nearly 2,000 are expected to gather in the south-central Vietnamese city of Nha Trang for a series of sessions of the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM 1), as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2017, from now until early next month.

The first five meetings of SOM 1 took place in Nha Trang, located in Khanh Hoa Province, on Saturday, kicking off a series of events that are scheduled to last until March 3.

The gatherings included discussions on Policy Partnership on Science, Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG), Anti-Corruption and Transparency Working Group (ACTWG), Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG), and Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT).

The SOM 1 is anticipated to be attended by nearly 2,000 delegates from 21 member economies, as well as about 170 reporters from foreign press agencies and hundreds of Vietnamese journalists.

A total of 56 meeting sessions are slated to be convened to discuss a variety of topics.

According to Nguyen Minh Vu, deputy head of the APEC National Secretariat, the APEC 2017 will be organized under the theme of “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future.”

The forum will create a foundation for economic development and trade liberalization, contributing to a prosperous APEC community for the sake of the peoples and businesses, Vu stated.

The SOM 1 is also an opportunity for Vietnam, especially Khanh Hoa Province, to promote local tourism, culture, and cuisine to the international delegates, the Vietnamese official said.

Other similar events within the framework of APEC 2017 will take place in several localities across the country, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City among others.

The APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989, comprising 21 member states, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam among others.

The forum is aimed at creating greater prosperity for the peoples of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth as well as accelerating regional economic integration.

Vietnam joined the forum in 1998 and successfully chaired APEC 2006, and the country is scheduled to host the 2017 gathering in the central city of Da Nang in November.

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